1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to facsimile apparatuses, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus which stores image data to be transmitted and received image data in an image memory thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
A facsimile apparatus (abbreviated FAX hereinafter), use of which has recently become wide-spread, has improved functions, a higher communication speed, and various communication methods. A conventional FAX, designed for high communication speed, has an image memory, such as a hard disk, in which image data to be transmitted and received image data are stored. Thus, an operator of the FAX can plot received image data at any time and then delete it. Another conventional FAX, designed for keeping faxes confidential, has a so-called confidential function for managing received image data in accordance with an ID which has been transmitted thereto with the image data. Thus, an operator can plot the received image data if he/she directly inputs the ID to the FAX. Still another conventional FAX has a transfer function for transferring image data to a designated terminal when a transfer instruction with the ID which has been stored in the image memory is input from a host machine thereto. Incidentally, since only one ID representing the FAX is provided for the FAX, the FAX transfers all the stored image data to the designated terminal when the transfer instruction with the ID is input thereto.
However, each of the above conventional FAXs has the following disadvantage. That is, even if an operator of a terminal connected to one of the above conventional FAXs wants to transmit desired data stored in the image memory thereto or another designated terminal, none of the above FAXs can transmit only the desired data to the terminal operated by the operator or the other designated terminal. Particularly, since the above conventional FAX having the transfer function transfers all of the image data including non-desired data to the other designated terminal, communication speed is low and a secret of the non-desired data will be leaked.